Friday Finds and Reader Recommendations – January 13th 2017

Oooooooh it’s Friday the 13th, you guys!!!! And not only that, but a full moon, one, too. I think. Or was that last night? Anyway… it all bleeds into today (even if it was last night) and I bet it’ll look pretty full tonight, so ooooooooooh creeeeeeepy!! There’s undoubtedly a horror-movie marathon calling me tonight. Either way, I’m gonna try and find us a few extra creepy book-bargains (or definite 5-star scary) to add to our usual Friday Finds list.

But… I’m too into my latest book to watch movies. I’m reading a brand spanking new book right now, that’s going live in just a few days (Love in Lingerie by Alessandra Torre) that I’m totally into. I started it at 6:30am, and I’m already halfway in, because I’m just devouring it! And while, at first glance, it has a similar “story line” (rich dominating business man and his new employee), the FEEL and writing and character development, and personal realism is full on Alessandra Torre and I am SO into it. There’s so much story and “living” and other stuff other than sexual tension when it comes to her books, and I always feel like I’m the heroine.

And I have NO idea where it’s going, ’cause I didn’t even read the blurb. I went in completely blind, on the author’s name alone (because I’ve loved everything I’ve read by her, so far!). So as soon as I finish this list, I’m jumping back in.

Now… take a look at what else we found! (NOTE: some are bargain priced when I added them, but prices can change on Amazon, so make sure to check before you finalize your order. Sales listed are for Amazon U.S., however some of the Amazon UK links also reflect the sale!):

Trick by Laramie Briscoe <— LIVE!!!! SHE’S LOOKING FOR A FATHERLY FIGURE FOR HER DAUGHTER & HE’S DOING COMMUNITY SERVICE ALERT!! “The companion program that matches adults up with children who have loneliness and abandonment issues is my last hope. The counselors tell me he’s doing community service hours, and I ask to sit in on his meetings with Riley. The minute I see him astride the matte black Harley, I know neither my nor Riley’s life will ever be the same again...”

“In 2013, my book, IF YOU STAY sat on the New York Times bestsellers list for twelve straight weeks. Readers fell in love with troubled Pax Tate. For years, I have been asked to write more of his story.

For years, I didn’t want to.

Pax Tate’s character is based on my son, Gunner. His personality traits, his issues with drugs.

I wanted to leave Pax’s story as a fairytale happy ending. But through my journey with my son, I have realized that happy endings must be worked for, and sometimes, they don’t come easy.

If You Love Me: True love. True terror. True story. by Alice Keale <— LIVE!!! PERFECT RELATIONSHIP TURNS INTO AN ABUSIVE BOYFRIEND ALERT!!! Ugh!!! This one sounds tumultuous, frustrating and panic-attack inducing, and yet I want to read it. “This is the chilling true story of a woman trapped in a devastating relationship as she tries to prove her love – over and over again.”

Everything in Between: A Rocker Romance by Melissa Toppen <— LIVE!!! ROCK STAR BROKE HER HEART ALERT! “I hate him. I hate everything about him. I hate how he thinks that he can walk back into my life after all this time and I’m just going to melt at his feet. If he thinks his newly found ROCKSTAR status holds any power over me at all, he couldn’t be more wrong. If anything, it makes me hate him more...” (and it can be read as a standalone!!)

With Us (The Amato Series Book 1) by Layla Frost <— LIVE!!! SHE’S A HOMEBODY & HE’S A WORKAHOLIC “There was nothing Dahlia Kincaid enjoyed more than a good book, a funny movie, and a full night’s sleep. Long workdays meant she rarely had time for any of them, but the sacrifice was worth it to live in the city. It wasn’t until she met a man with model good looks and sexy veined hands that her life changed in ways she’d never even known to dream of…“

The Sweetest Goodbye (Roadmap to Your Heart, Book 3.5) by Christina Lee <— LIVE!!! M/M ROMANCE BEST FRIENDS ALERT! It can be read as a standalone… “…Billie figures he’s got everything he needs. Everything except the guy he’s been saving himself for, no matter how often Dylan tells him it’s time to move on. After a night out turns into a sexy exchange between the best friends, they pretend like nothing happened. Besides, Billie’s still holding a torch for somebody else, and Dylan has always been a considerable flirt.”

Tripp (Knights Corruption MC Series Book 4) by S. Nelson <— LIVE!!! BIKER BOOK ALERT! “...Barely escaping her past, Reece Kendrick flees across the country and takes the first job she can find, working at a club owned by the Knights Corruption. Vowing to keep her heart guarded, everything changes the moment she sees him. Confused and powerless to stop the dynamic unraveling between them, she becomes enthralled with a stranger…“

Flawed by Sara Hubbard <— LIVE!!! GRITTY SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE ALERT! He just got out of jail… “I want to go straight and be the man she deserves, but when her brother steals from my criminal uncle, I have no choice but to make a deal with him. I might as well sell my soul; the devil is kinder…“

The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle <— HER HUSBAND HAS BEEN LYING TO HER… PSYCH-THRILLER RECENT RELEASE that I missed the first time around, and OMG!!! Right up my tense alley! “…the morning Will flies out for a business trip to Florida, Iris’s happy world comes to an abrupt halt: another plane headed for Seattle has crashed into a field, killing everyone on board and, according to the airline, Will was one of the passengers. Grief stricken and confused, Iris is convinced it all must be a huge misunderstanding…”

The Night Bird by Brian Freeman <— PSYCH-THRILLER ALERT!!! WOMEN ARE HAVING PSYCHOTIC BREAKS…. “When a series of bizarre deaths rock San Francisco—as seemingly random women suffer violent psychotic breaks—Frost looks for a connection that leads him to psychiatrist Francesca Stein. Frankie’s controversial therapy helps people erase their most terrifying memories…and all the victims were her patients…” pretty good price on this one!

Secrets and Sins: Malachim (A Secrets and Sins series Book 2) by Naima Simone <— ABUSED WIFE IN HIDING GETS A JOB AT A SMALL LAW OFFICE… it sounds good, and it’s super-bargain priced today! “Two years ago, Danielle barely escaped alive from her powerful and abusive ex-husband. Now her ex is out of prison, and he’s coming for her. She knows she must leave her new job and run. Disappear—to keep herself and those she loves safe.“

Vicious (Sinners of Saint Book 1) by L.J. Shen <— SHE HATES HIM BECAUSE HE BULLIED HER… RECENT release and it’s super-bargain priced, and Shannon loved it and wants more LIKE it!!

Shannon: Omg ..I just finished Vicious … and I want more … can u recommend similar reads until book #2 ?…lol

Kandace: I love Jill Mansell’s books. I have read almost all of them. To the Moon and Back is my favorite. They are more chick lit but they are hilarious and quirky. A great change up if you need something different.”

One Hot Scot: A Second Chance Romance by Donna Alam <— LIVE!!! THE SCOT DOESN’T REMEMBER HER… “She’s lost her husband, her job, recently avoided jail time, and is back living in the place she’s always loathed . . . when problem #100 walks in...”

Exposed: A British Bad Boy Romance by Sennah Tate <— LIVE!!! THE BRIT IS A BAD BOY CHEF… “This interview is my chance to break out of trashy tabloid exposés. Jasper Wild is a real subject, an accomplished chef with a fascinating career. Yes, the man is sexy. He’s charming. And, god, those tattoos covering his arms and those strong, capable hands… Too bad he’s also an immature, unprofessional playboy...”

Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman <— ANY BOOK CALLED TRIGGER WARNING HAS MY ATTENTION BIG TIME!!!! I’m adding it just ’cause it looks good, and seems to fit the whole “eerie” feel of the day! “Trigger Warning explores the masks we all wear and the people we are beneath them to reveal our vulnerabilities and our truest selves. Here is a rich cornucopia of horror and ghosts stories, science fiction and fairy tales, fabulism and poetry that explore the realm of experience and emotion…”

The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism by Naoki Higashida <— AUTOBIOGRAPHY WRITTEN BY AN AUTISTIC TEEN ALERT!! And it’s super-bargain priced and has so many accolades and great reviews!!! “…it is a one-of-a-kind memoir that demonstrates how an autistic mind thinks, feels, perceives, and responds in ways few of us can imagine...” This sounds like a captivating read, and I LOVE autobiographies. I love learning about anybody’s life.

Deerskin by Robin McKinley <— OMG THIS ONE SOUNDS CRAZY!!!!!!!! THE KING DECIDES HE WILL MARRY HIS OWN PRINCESS DAUGHTER ALERT!!!!! Definitely more of a “fantasy” read but listed in the top 100 “horror” reads on Amazon. BUT!!!! The blurb doesn’t make it seem like “horror” per se. Definitely crazy-sounding and even awesome sounding… “…the king announces that he is to marry again—and that his bride is the princess Lissla Lissar, his own daughter. Lissar, physically broken, half mad, and terrified, flees her father’s lust with her one loyal friend, her sighthound, Ash. It is the beginning of winter as they journey into the mountains—and on the night when it begins to snow, they find a tiny, deserted cabin with the makings of a fire ready-laid in the hearth…“

Dean’s List by Stacy Claflin <— PSYCH-THRILLER SUPER-BARGAIN ALERT!!!! SHE DISCOVERS HER HUSBAND’S SECRET BOX... “…she finds a box of news clippings he took great pains to conceal, the problems go from disappointing to dangerous. Nation-wide murders… in cities where he has traveled…“

Wounded Prey (Farrell and Kearns Thriller Book 1) by Sean Lynch <— THRILLER/SERIAL KILLER SUPER-BARGAIN ALERT!! “IT’S TIME TO FINISH WHAT HE STARTED… A young girl is snatched from her rural Iowa school in broad daylight. The child is later found murdered, her body hanging from a tree…”

Walk the Edge (Thunder Road) by Katie McGarry <— GOOD GIRL IS BEING BULLIED & HE BAD BOY COMES TO HER RESCUE ALERT!!!! “…one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyberbully’s line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas “Razor” Turner into her life...”

Whatever Life Throws at You (Entangled Teen) by Julie Cross <— FAMOUS BASEBALL PLAYER & HER DAD IS THE COACH ALERT!! “…nineteen-year-old Jason Brody is completely, utterly, and totally off-limits. Besides, her dad would kill them both several times over. Not to mention Brody has something of a past, and his fan club is filled with C-cupped models, not smart-mouthed high school “brats” who can run the pants off every player on the team…“

She’s Come Undone (Oprah’s Book Club) by Wally Lamb <— HUGE HIT SUPER-BARGAIN ALERT!!! And I already one-clicked this one ages ago. Back in 2013!!!!! What the heck am I waiting for? It sounds awesome!!! “Beached like a whale in front of her bedroom TV, she spends the next few years nourishing herself with the Mallomars, potato chips, and Pepsi her anxious mother supplies. When she finally rolls into young womanhood at 257 pounds, Dolores is no stronger and life is no kinder. But this time she’s determined to rise to the occasion and give herself one more chance before really going belly-up...”

Christy: She’s Come Undone is absolutely one of the best books I’ve ever read & one of my all time favorites. It’s hard to believe a male author could write such a heart breakingly real account of what a teenage girl’s trials & tribulations are like. It is a book you won’t soon forget!

Michelle: I read She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb years ago and it is still on my favorite books list. It’s a must read!

Shannon: I read She’s Come Undone years and years ago and loved it. Worth picking up if it is bargain priced!

Finding Karma by Stacy M Wray <— LIVE!!! SHE GOES ON A ROADTRIP WITH AN UNLIKELY PARTNER ALERT!! “I begin to discover things about myself that make me start to question my intended path, meeting people who influence me to change my course in life, even if it means losing part of my future. Improbable friendships. Selfish decisions. Broken hearts. A love that never fades. This is what happens when I find me…when I find Karma…“

PREORDERS (a few from over the next few days & some from next week’s!!! HOLY MOLY!! )

Joy Stick by Lauren Blakely – May 1st 2017 <— LAUREN BLAKELY’S UPCOMING BOOK “JOY STICK” ALERT!!! It’s sort of up for preorder, with a release date, a blurb and a SEXY cover!!! P.S. Here’s the series (and the latest one is in Amazon’s TOP 10 of all books!!)

Oh my I completly misssd My Peace up there, I loved If You Stay. It’s been so long since I’ve read it, but I remember everything!
On Deerskin- Incest makes me so uncomfortable to read, consensual or not, but the way the blurb sounds, it’s pulling me in anyway! And I’ve been in the mood for more fantasy lately, so maybe I’ll give it a try.

Blackwood by Celia Aaron is just .99 right now. I don’t know how to do all the fancy links/pictures…so here’s a blurb:
I dig. It’s what I do. I’ll literally use a shovel to answer a question. Some answers, though, have been buried too deep for too long. But I’ll find those, too. And I know where to dig—the Blackwood Estate on the edge of the Mississippi Delta. Garrett Blackwood is the only thing standing between me and the truth. A broken man—one with desires that dance in the darkest part of my soul—he’s either my savior or my enemy. I’ll dig until I find all his secrets. Then I’ll run so he never finds mine. The only problem? He likes it when I run. Author’s Note: This is a mystery/suspense romance with violence and explicit/intense sex. If you need a trigger warning, then this isn’t the book for you.

I’m only 37% into Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee but I’m loving it so hard so far!!! This could totally work for November’s “cowboy” theme for the book challenge too. It definitely starts off with a bang, Andy and Sammy’s strong connection is so easy and fitting. I love their adventure so far. I keep smiling, laughing, and gasping, and I hate being pulled away. West, Cay, and Peety are so swoon worthy too! I’m rooting for some romance here, the connection is there, I feel it, but I’m having so much fun just going along for the ride right now!

I’m going to read the sample for Deerskin. She flees her father’s kingdom, so the incest is a non issue for me! Gross huh? I’m more worried that it’s a young adult or teen author! Need my hanky panky fix.

I’m giving Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa a try. And then I think I’m going to read that first Kingmaker Chronicles book, A Promise of Fire, that Tessa was just talking about, and I promise I’ll fit Jezebel in there too–sometime. I just NEED some PnR/fantasy right now!!

Well bev, I’m waiting on Love in Lingerie to roll into my kindle, but in the meantime I’m enjoying an oldish (1995) HR called To Love And To Cherish by Patricia Gaffney. I don’t think it’s on kindle but I’ve just got hold of the paperback. I read Bk 2 of the trilogy first LOL. I’m really enjoying this one too. The H is a very principled (and hot!) minister of the lord, and the h is married to someone else LOL! It’s a slow burn and they haven’t strayed…. yet. But they’re attracted….. It’s a HR so I’m guessing there won’t be a divorce, so it’s not hard to predict that Lady Ann’s horrible husband will pop his clogs at some stage and free the lovers to be together. But the characters are complex and interesting and I’m enjoying it.

omg, Tessa, that one sounds good. I guess I’m just all over the place right now. I’m going to need a short(er) book to read tomorrow, but I have no idea what. Either that or just start my Sunday read a day early.

Tasha, I really want to read that one. I liked her newest one but think that the one you are reading is more of a favorite for people.

There is a gossip blog I sometimes read and I guess her mom does the zodiac for each Chinese New year, coming up, every year. This is the year of the rooster.
Yesterday she posted what the year will be for the monkey and today will be for mine the goat.
I just find things like that fun to read, though don’t really believe or follow them and will forget what is said in a week, lol.
But thought I’d see if they’d link when someone’s year comes up.

I finished Chance by Charlotte Case and it was a huge 5 star for me. It had me grinning like this. It had angst and the H was the type of guy I’d absolutely love to know. Both were but he’s intelligent, sweet, and a musician. Also the southern rock band felt real, though the fan thing that usually happens was a little light.

I logged in close to 60 hours this week not including my commute. W. T. F. I can’t believe I was bored with my old job. *snort* And I’m afraid to go see my trainer ’cause I’m so not conditioned right now.

I really miss y’all. Like, SERIOUSLY miss you. I just want to snuggle up with my iPad and this blog and catch up on everything and finish Remember When (which is SO fun, by the way ) and paint my nails. Maybe after my eleventy thousand chores. Oh, and a little thing called date night with hubby.

One of my favorite series of ALL TIME!!! I swear I swooned like I was high right before my stomach ate itself and my heart crumbled then imploded. And the cherry on top was sobbing happy tears while my heart still had a residual ache at the end of book three. SOBBING. HAPPY. TEARS.

“Why are you crying? I’m not even proposing to you right now.” GAHHHHHHH!!! (okay, so I paraphrased it, but STILL!)

Oh, Amy! Bless you! Hope you have a great, relaxing date night with hubby! Mine took me out for a date lunch today and we had so much fun!

Count me in as another Tristan and Danika lover. It’s also one of my fave all-time series. I want MORE like it and like Thoughtless. Why can’t someone just write more books like that already??? They chewed up my guts, swirled them around, and spit them out.

Robin–it’s not really all that much like Thoughtless except Tristan’s a rock star and it’s SUPER duper angsty. It just really guts you as everyone says. And the swoon factor you want is DEFINITELY there! hubba hubba!!

I read the last Max Monroe Bad Boy Billionaires novella last night… have we figured out who this duo is yet??? I have my suspicions, but I really just want to know who they are already LOL! It was a good way to end the books.

I’m kind of in a holding pattern. There are a couple of books coming out on Tuesday that I know that I’m going to break my… “I’m not buying any books this month” rule for… so I don’t know what to read. I don’t have to work tomorrow and really have ZERO plans for the day today or tomorrow other than taking my daughter to an orthodontist appt. YAY!

I’m having a hard time with my new book budget too. Though way better than I was.
I read a mix of library, used, nook,KU, and kindle. Majority is mostly kindle.
I know we read different types, but if you see me reading or talking about a book that I might be able to loan, please hit me up Grey. Or anyone else that would like a loan.
I’ve thought of trying that book lending site that Fabi and Michelle use, but I am horrible at reading on a schedule. I already stretch the library loan periods.
Because of that I’m thinking of stopping UK once I read the ones I have, just cause I don’t seem to get around to them. Though such a joy when you find a good find on there. I think I need to get current tbr in some control for it to be cost effective and beneficial to me.

Full Package update. It was awesome. It’s told in male POV, and the story was super sweet and cute. His insight into Bed, Bath, and Beyond was hilarious. But the real kicker is the recipes. Not funny, but the way they are written was insightful.

That said, it had a recipe I thought was lost forever, (probably in one of my sister’s drawer and they aren’t confessing). 7 layer bars exactly as my mom used to make. That treasure just thrilled me beyond words.

I gotta read Full Package Tessa!! Trying to clean up my TBR, started Six of Hearts by L.H. Cosway….. loving it so far (and literally just started it….that Prologue! *blinking back tears*) And the last 2 books I read were just ok.

I read your blog a lot, but I’ve never commented. Still, I had to say something about Deerskin. Rather than horror or even fantasy, Deerskin reads more like a fairy tale…but NOT one of the sanitized Disney ones. It is a darker tale, which contains elements of both. Though the main character is young at the beginning, isn’t a young adult book. It might be considered New Adult, though it was released decades before that classification was even a glimmer of a thought. The incestuous attack has a certain dream-like quality. I read the book first when I was 15, and I didn’t actually understand what was going on. Robin McKinley is an amazing author, and Deerskin is still one of my favorite books.

Finished The Light Series by Aleatha Romig. A really wonderfully written suspense/romance; although at times I may have thought it was a little over the top dramatic. A great suspense that keeps you guessing and on the edge of your seat wondering how it will end!

About Me

I am happily addicted to reading but I need to expend my book energy (especially when one puts me in an emotional frenzy - SO fun!). So, I release my feelings about the stories, by writing them down here. It's my book therapy. [ read more ]